Knickers, drawers, and the like for females.



0. E. BULEY. KNICKERS, DRAWERS, AND THE LIKE FOR FEMALES.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1913.

1 179, 1 59. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

OLGA EMILIE I BULEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

KNICKERS, DRAWERS, AND THE LIKE FOR FEMALES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed February 19, 1913. Serial No. 749,370.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLGA EMILIE BULEY, a subject of the King of England, residing at 7 Burbage road, Herne Hill, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Knickers, Drawers, and the like for Females; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in underwear for female use and refers more particularly to knickers, drawers or the like, although the said knickers, drawers or the like may be made or combined with other garments, such as corsets or vests.

Knickers or the like for female use are usually made to open either down the front or back and the back portion is generally provided with a flap which is normally fastened by means of buttons or the like in the neighborhood of the waist band, which buttons have to be undone by hand when it is required to let down the flap.

My invention particularly relates to a method by which this flap is normally held in the closed position but which can be quickly moved into the open position without .the necessity of unfastening buttons or the like, and consists in providing this flap with a band normally passing around the waist such band being made so that it can be readily expanded so as to be passed downward over the body in order to turn the flap down.

In some cases a flap may also be provided at the front and the two flaps connected to the expansible band. Various methods of attaching the band to the flaps may be used so that the said band may be unfastened from the flap to facilitate dressing and undressing, although when the garment is being worn it is unnecessary and not desirable to undo such fastenings in order to turn down the flap.

I may in some cases provide adjustable, detachable hygienic linings for the knickers or the like and where separate corsets are worn over the upper part of the knickers provide openings in the leg portions of the said knickers in order to enable the usual suspenders to be passed from the outside to the inside of the knickers in order to hold up the stockings in the usual way. And in order that my said invention may be better understood I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification, which show various means of carrying out my invention as applied to various garments.

Figure 1 shows-a rear elevationof a pair of knickers .with my invention applied thereto, showing the flap open. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of same with the flap in the partially let down position. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of another pair of knickers in which both front and rear flaps are employed. Fig. 4 shows similar view to Fig. 3 but with the flaps in the let down position; Fig. 5 shows side elevation of my invention applied to combinations 2'. 6. combined knickers and vest. shows a similar view to Fig. 5 with a modified addition. Fig. 7-shows a view with my invention applied to a combined garment consisting of knickers'and corsets. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram.

The same letters of reference are employed to denote the same parts in all the views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a shows the taking over the button It provided at the other end of the flap. At Fig. l the loop 9 is shown disengaged from the button k. This is desirable in order to facilitate dressing but in use the band f is passed around the waist, and the loop 9 engages the button It so that normally the flap is held in the upper position. When it is desired to let down the flap it is simply necessary to take the sides of the strap f in the hands expand .same and force the band carrying the flap down over the body in the manner shown at Fig. 2. The flap is as easily raised by pulling up the band when it contracts and lies snugly around the waist keeping the flap in position.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 in this case it will be seen that in addition to the rear flap d a front flap I: is provided both the flaps being mounted upon the expensible band f.

Fig. 6'

It will be seen that when the band f is forced down side portions m are left attached to the ordinary waistband b, said side portions m are sufficient tosupport the legs of the knickers, drawers or the like.

At Fig. 5 the flap d is shown attached to combinations, consisting of the usual garment comprising a vest n and knickers or drawers p. In this case the action is precisely the same as in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 shows a similar garment but in this case a contractible V gusset q is provided coming beneath the arms and which extends downward the desired distance. The sides of the gusset are connected by elastic strips 1' normally tending to close the gusset. It will be seen that this garment is adaptable to persons of varying physical proportions owing to the gusset g and elastic strips 7-.

Referring to Fig. 7, in this view the knickers a are shown combined with corsets s, the flap (1 having attached thereto a band f as in the previous cases. With garments of this description, the corsets may be made detachable from the knickers by lacing, so

I as to enable the knickers to be washed when desired.

It will be observed that with all the garments so far described when they are in position upon the wearer and the expansible band fastened around the waist, it is a very simple matter to pull or push downward I upon the band in order to open the flap and to reverse the process in order to close the same without the necessity of undoing any buttons or the like.

\ In some cases the elastic band f may be replaced by a band which is not elastic but which can be expanded. This may consist of two overlapping bands with means connecting the same together so that by simply pulling upon one or both the extent of the overlap may be varied-so that the band may in one position be of suitable size to fit comfortably around the waist while when it is given a pull may be of sufiicient size to pass down over the body.

Referring to Fig. 8 which shows diagrammatically a plan of the flap cl, to the ends e and h are connected bands 6 and 7, an intermediate position between them being indicated by 8.

lVith any of the garments previously described over which it is possible to wear corsets slits may be made in suitable positions in the legs of the knickers so that the usual suspenders may be passed therethrough and attached to the stockings in the ordinary way. It is also to be seen that in the case where the knickers, drawers or the like open down the front and the flap is in the normal closed position, a double thickness of mate rial is in position upon the back which is particularly desirable for garments for winter wear.

It is obvious that many minor details may be introduced without departing from the principle of the invention and that although generally one flap namely the rear flap has been described, the devices and modifications maybe applied to the front flap where possible. It is also to be observed that the bands may pass through a hem in the top of the flaps and that the said bands may be either wholly elastic, wholly non-elastic or partially elastic and partially non-elastic and that they may be divided at any desired portion or portions of their length in which case they are provided with means for connecting the said portions together, the said means always remaining fastened when the garment is in use and only being undone for the purpose of dressing or undressing.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America 1s:-

1. Knickers, drawers and the like provided with a flap to which an expansible band is secured for holding the flap in raised position, the band being expanded to pass down over the body of the wearer to permit the flap to be lowered, and means for holding the garment in position on the body irre spective of the position of the flap.

2. Knickers, drawers and the like, provided with a flap, means for keeping the garment in position on the body, and sepa rate means comprising an expansible band secured to the flap to encircle the waist of the wearer to hold the flap raised, the band being expanded to pass down over the body of the wearer when the flap is lowered.

3. Knickers, drawers and the like, provided with a flap, means for keeping the garment in position on the body of the wearer, an elastic band secured to the flap and adapted to surround the body to hold the flap in position, the said band being independent of the garment supporting means, and adapted to be moved up or down to raise or lower the flap.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

OLGA EMILIE BULEY. Witnesses:

A. E. VIDAL, HILDA E. G. RowLEY.

Jill 

